The Admission of Students

The admission requirements and procedures are designed to help the
College select, from among the men and women applying, those
best-qualified to profit from the educational opportunities at Bates.
As the emphasis is on the liberal arts and sciences, the
secondary school record should assure success in these fields.
Applicants must present evidence of intellectual interest, good
character, and thorough scholastic preparation. The College values
liveliness, thoughtfulness, and curiosity; it seeks in its student body
a range of intellectual, extracurricular, and personal energies. Each
applicant is considered individually, and the dean of admissions may
make exceptions to any requirement.

Admission Requirements

1. Application Form. Bates uses the Common
Application and a supplement. In addition to biographical data,
the application requests information concerning the applicant's
academic and extracurricular interests. The required essay gives the
applicant the opportunity to write on a suggested topic or one of
personal choice. Additional writing samples or other evidence of
creative ability are encouraged.

2. Record in Secondary School. The
secondary school record should consist of courses of a substantial
college-preparatory nature. Individual cases may vary, but it is
recommended that students have taken four years of English, at least
three of mathematics, three of a foreign language, three of social
science, and at least two of a laboratory science.

3. Recommendations. The College receives
recommendations from school officials and references named by the
applicant. It should be understood that when a student waives the right
to inspect that information, it is kept in strict confidence and is
available only to appropriate College officers.

4. Standardized Test Scores. The submission of
standardized testing (the SAT I, SAT II, and the ACT) is optional for
admission. Independent of the admissions process and solely for the
purpose of the College's research, students who have taken the
standardized tests must submit the official results of these tests upon
matriculation.

5. Results of a Personal Interview. The applicant
should seek an interview with a member of the College's admissions
staff or a designated alumni representative in the home area.
Candidates forgoing an interview may be placing themselves at a
disadvantage in the evaluation process.

Admission Procedures

Early in the senior year a student should submit the application
for admission. To be considered for admission in 2009–2010, a student
must submit an application no later than 1 January 2009.
A nonrefundable fee of $60 must accompany the application. Students for
whom the fee would be a financial hardship may have their guidance
counselor submit a College Board "Request for Fee Waiver" with their
application. Application forms may be obtained by writing to the Dean
of Admissions, Bates College, 23 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240.
Application forms are also available on the Admissions Web site (www.bates.edu/admission).

The Admissions Office reaches its decision only after it has
received the completed application form, essay, and all the data
supporting an application: the transcript of the secondary school
record and recommendations from the guidance counselor and from two
teachers.

As a general rule, applicants are notified of decisions in late
March. Accepted students are asked to respond with a nonrefundable
$300 deposit payment, postmarked by the candidate's reply date of 1
May. International students may make this deposit upon arrival on
campus but must accept the offer of admission by 1 May. Upon
matriculation this payment is applied to the student's
account and is held until graduation. Students usually enter the
College at the beginning of the academic year in September, although
the College accepts a limited number of students for January
matriculation.

Early Decision

Candidates who are certain that Bates is their first choice should
give serious thought to the binding Early Decision (ED) plan.
Applicants for ED must complete the ED contract for consideration and
assure the College that they will enroll if admitted. Regular
applications may be submitted to other colleges with the understanding
that the candidate will withdraw these applications if he or she is
accepted at Bates under ED.

Students who file an ED application and whose credentials are
complete by 15 November (Round I) receive a decision by 15 December.
The application deadline for ED Round II is 1 January, and students
receive a decision by 15 February.

Deferred Admission

For some students college is a richer and more relevant experience
if they take a year to engage in some nonacademic pursuit between high
school and college. For this reason Bates grants deferred admission
to candidates who are accepted in the normal competition. If
qualifications warrant it, acceptance is granted and matriculation is
postponed until either January or September of the following year.

Early Admission

Extremely capable students may be ready for college before they
have completed the normal four-year secondary school program. The
College welcomes inquiries from those who think they are prepared
scholastically, and are sufficiently mature personally and socially, to
undertake college work.

Advanced Standing for Entering First-Year Students

Students who enter as first-year students must earn at least
twenty-four Bates credits in order to be awarded a Bates degree. With
thirty-two course credits (plus two Short Term unit credits) in all required for the degree, up to eight
non-Bates credits may be applied toward the total. Advanced Placement,
International Baccalaureate, A-Level Examination, and transfer credits
are all considered non-Bates credits and may not exceed eight credits
in total.

Advanced Placement. Bates participates in the
Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Entrance Examination
Board. A student who achieves a score of four or five on an Advanced
Placement examination given by the Educational Testing Service may be
granted two course credits, or one course credit in the case of AP
courses covering the equivalent of one semester of college work. A
student achieving a score of three on an examination covering the
equivalent of two semesters of college work may be granted one course
credit, upon approval of the chair of the appropriate department. No
credit is granted for a score of three on an examination covering the
equivalent of one semester of college work.

International Baccalaureate. Credit is awarded
only upon receipt of the official International Baccalaureate (IB)
transcript with the examination scores. The IB subjects must be
equivalent to subjects taught at Bates, with "English" accepted only if
the focus was on literature rather than language instruction. For
courses taken in the "Higher Level Subjects" category, one Bates course
credit may be awarded for each IB course with an examination grade of
five. Two Bates course credits may be awarded for each IB course with
examination grades of six or seven. For courses taken in the "Standard
Level Subjects" category, one course credit may be awarded for each
course with an examination grade of six or seven. A maximum of eight
International Baccalaureate credits may be applied to the Bates
academic record.

A-Level Examination. Credit is awarded for
successful scores on A-Level (Advanced Level) examinations only, and
not for O-Level (Ordinary Level) or AS (Advanced Subsidiary)
examinations. Credit is awarded upon receipt of the official copy of
examination grades presented on the General Certificate of Education.
No credit may be granted for English-language examinations or the
general paper. Two Bates course credits may be awarded for each A-Level
examination graded A or B (one course credit for a B in mathematics).
One Bates course credit may be awarded for a grade of C. A maximum of eight A-Level
credits may be applied to the Bates academic record.

Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and A-Level Credit and General Education.
For students in the classes of 2009 and 2010: Departments and programs
decide whether AP, IB, or A-Level credits awarded in their discipline
fulfill any General Education requirements.

For students in the Classes of 2011 and beyond: AP, IB, or A-Level credit awarded as equivalent to
a specific Bates course may be used to fulfill the same General
Education requirements that the equivalent Bates course fulfills,
exclusive of writing requirements. AP, IB, or A-Level credit awarded as
"unspecified credit," which is not equivalent to a specific Bates
course, cannot be used to fulfill any General Education requirements.

Other Advanced Standing Programs. Not all students
have access to Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or
A-Level examinations, but it is not possible to fairly evaluate all of
the many other advanced standing programs currently available. Course
credit is awarded therefore only to successful scores on Advanced
Placement, International Baccalaureate, and A-Level examinations.
Course work undertaken in other advanced standing programs, however,
may be used to place into higher-level Bates courses; students should
consult with the appropriate department or program chair.

Advanced Standing for Transfer Students

The College welcomes applications from students who wish to
transfer to Bates from other institutions. Bates transfers courses
completed at accredited colleges and universities under guidelines
established by the faculty. The College's transfer credit policy is
described in detail on page 32.

A four-year Bates student must complete thirty-two courses (one course being equal
to one course credit at Bates) and two Short Term units in order to
graduate. A transfer student must attend a minimum of four semesters
and earn a minimum of sixteen Bates course credits and two Short Term
units to earn a Bates degree. While students may have earned more than
sixteen transferable credits at their previous institution, they must choose which sixteen they wish
to apply to their Bates record at the time of transfer.

The following credentials are due in the Office of Admissions by 1
March (1 January for international students) for fall semester
consideration and 1 November for winter semester consideration: the
application and fee; official secondary school and college transcripts;
a college catalog describing courses completed and those in progress; a
statement of good standing from a college official; three letters of
recommendation (two from faculty, one from a personal source); and an
essay concerning the applicant's motivation to transfer. Submission of
standardized testing results is optional. An interview is strongly
recommended.

When a transfer student is admitted, his or her transcript is
reviewed for transferable credits, allowable General Education credits,
and credit towards major requirements.

International Students

The College encourages international candidates with superior
academic and personal qualifications to apply for admission to Bates.
Non-United States citizens must submit the following: an application
form; official or certified copies of secondary school transcripts; a
school profile and/or explanation of the school's marking system if
available; letters of recommendation; certificates of completion and
national examinations (if applicable); and the Bates Financial
Statement for International Students, which may be obtained from the
Admissions Office.

All documents must be presented in English; original documents must
accompany all certified translations. Applicants living abroad are
advised to retain copies of their applications and to mail applications
well in advance of the deadlines.

Students who speak English as a second language, regardless of
where they live, must submit results of the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an equivalent form of testing. The College
will accept only official score reports. Submission of SAT I, SAT II,
or ACT results is optional for all students.

Need-based financial aid is available for international students.
All non-U.S. citizens must complete the Financial Statement for
International Students.

Visiting Students

Bates welcomes applications from students attending other colleges who wish to enroll for a limited time as nondegree
visiting students. Enrollment on a visiting basis can be for one
semester or a year. While enrolled, visiting students pay the same
tuition, room, and board fees and have the same privileges and
obligations as regular degree candidates. They are not, however,
eligible to receive financial aid or to play an NCAA-sanctioned varsity
sport. At the end of the term of study, a transcript of the visiting
student's course work is sent upon request to the home institution.

To apply, the student should file the regular application for
admission, indicating "visiting student" status, and submit the
following credentials: an official college transcript, two letters of
recommendation from college faculty, a letter of recommendation from a
dean or advisor, a statement of good standing from a college official,
and an essay explaining the student's interest in Bates and in becoming
a visiting student. An interview is strongly recommended.

High School Honors Students

Under a program arranged in conjunction with the guidance offices
at local high schools, a limited number of qualified high school
seniors may enroll in a Bates course each semester free of charge.
Application is made through the high school guidance office to the
Bates Admissions Office. Students receive a transcript following
successful completion of each course. Each student is limited to one
course per semester for a total of two courses under this program.

Special Students

Each semester, as space within courses permits, Bates admits
special students who are not degree candidates. No more than two
courses may be taken each semester; the fee per course for 2008–2009 is $1,250.
No financial aid is available for special students and they are
responsible for any additional fees associated with a course. A
special-student transcript is produced showing completion of each
course. Special students are not degree-seeking candidates and are
limited to a maximum of four courses as special students at Bates.
College employees, spouses or domestic partners, and dependents seeking
special-student status should refer to the Bates Employee Handbook for
more information about the special-student program for employees.

Interested applicants should submit the special-student application
form to the registrar with a $25 application fee one month prior to the
beginning of the semester, and meet with the dean of students. Entry
into courses is on a space-available basis. Special students may not
enroll in Short Term units.

Special students who later wish to matriculate must meet admissions
requirements and are subject to decisions made by the dean of
admissions and the registrar concerning the credits toward a degree,
which may include consideration of courses completed as a special
student.

Auditing Students

Application to audit a course is made with the registrar in
consultation with the instructor of the course. Permission to audit a
course is withheld if, in the judgment of the registrar or the
instructor, it is not appropriate to audit the course or too many
applications to audit are received.

Members of the College staff, their spouses or partners, and their
dependents may apply to audit courses with permission from the Office
of Human Resources.

The auditing fee for nonmatriculated students in 2008–2009 is $275.
No credit is earned; the audit is not recorded on a permanent record.
An auditor should not expect to have papers and exams graded;
therefore, auditing is seldom permitted in courses where the method of
instruction involves significant individual attention and guidance or
extensive use of equipment. Matriculated Bates students may audit
courses with prior permission of their advisor, the instructor of the
course, and the registrar. An audited course may not be converted at a later date to a
course taken for credit. Entry into courses depends on
space available. Auditing students may not enroll in Short Term units.

Student Enrollment

The following definitions of enrollment apply: Students taking
courses at Bates as degree-seeking students or who participate in a
Bates-approved off-campus study program are considered "enrolled."
Students on a leave of absence are not considered "enrolled" during the
period of the leave.

Student Retention and Graduation

The federal Student Right to Know Act requires institutions of
higher education to make available graduation rates. Bates has
calculated an 89.4 percent graduation rate for first-time students entering in September 2002,
using the guidelines published in the 10 July 1992 Federal Register.
This calculation does not include students who have transferred into
the College from other institutions.